“Asiate could seat folks on the Time Warner Center’s
loading dock,” claims New York magazine’s Hal
Rubenstein, “and [Noriyuki] Sugie would still rank as the
most exciting new chef in town…Asiate is as close as any
new restaurant gets to shooting the moon…diners will never
have to look out the window to feel as if they’re floating
on a cloud.” Rubenstein’s words might sound like so
much hyperbole, were it not for the nearly unanimous praise that’s
been heaped on Sugie and his eclectic French-Japanese food since
Asiate opened on the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel
in the fall of 2003. The New York Times’ William Grimes
said that Sugie’s cooking is “…at least as good
as the view out the window,” and Wine Spectator gave
the restaurant an Award of Excellence.

Sugie, a native of Japan, was a budding teenage musician who took
a part-time job in a Tokyo restaurant to support his guitar habit
when he realized his passion for cooking. After graduating from
high school, he enrolled in the Tsuji Culinary School in Osaka,
and continued his education at the school’s branch in Château
de l’Éclair, France. He cooked at L’Aubergade,
Le Moulin de Martorey, and Hostellerie de Vieuz, all in Burgundy,
before coming to the States in 1996 to work as chef de partie at
Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago. Two years later Sugie headed
to Tetsuya in Sydney, Australia, where he was sous-chef. During
his tenure, Tetsuya was named Restaurant of the Year by the Sydney
Morning Herald. Sugie went on to open Restaurant VII, also
in Sydney, as chef and partner, and earned the Herald’s
Best New Restaurant designation. After cooking promotional dinners
in Bangkok, Hong Kong, London, Bermuda, and New York (at The Mark)
for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s guest chef program,
the company chose Sugie to open its signature restaurant at its
new Manhattan property.

“Like music,” Sugie has said, “cooking is all
about harmony. Orchestrating a meal is like creating an unforgettable
score: classic dominant ingredients are the bass chords and accents
of unexpected spices, with flavors providing the high notes. Presentation
is like a mesmerizing solo. Like any performance, you have to put
on a good show.” From the dramatic views and sumptuous decor
to the exquisite cuisine, Asiate is one of the best shows in town.